Big lead holds in win for Mariners

October 20, 2013

NARRAGANSETT â The Narragansett football team improved to 3-1 in Division III and 3-2 overall Saturday after a 36-14 home win over Ponaganset.
Showing off big-play artillery to go with a well-rounded performance, the Mariners got started early and dispatched the Chieftains with a couple of long touchdowns before its guests had even settled in.
Deontae Stanley broke 65-yard and 46-yard rushing touchdowns while Kullen McGill tossed a 60-yard touchdown to Justin Cronin. Christian Humulock added two PATs and Michael Gallagher added a two-point conversion, Narragansett was leading 22-0 with three minutes left in the opening quarter.
âTheir two inside tackles are big and strong and we knew we were going to have some problems running the ball inside, looking at some of the film we saw that their outside was a little bit vulnerable,â said Mariner head coach Dick Fossa. âWe like three, four yards at a time but weâre never going to turn back a 65, 70-yard touchdown.â
The Mariners offense continued the scoring in the second quarter, although at a pace maybe closer to Fossaâs preference.
A solid return by Stanley set the offense up at the Chieftain 25. Reed Nelson had a few short carries before turning a McGill screen-pass into a 24-yard touchdown. Humulock added another PAT making it 29-0 with 10 minutes before half.
After its defense recovered a fumble, Gansettâs offense grabbed another score. McGill, Nelson, Stanley and Gallagher all picked up yards in a short touchdown drive. Nelson picked up the 2-yard touchdown and Humulock added another PAT, giving Narragansett all they would need with 36 points.
âWe were a little apprehensive coming into this game because they played extremely well defensively, the fact that weâve thrown the ball has really helped out our running game,â Fossa added. âIâm really happy with the performance of the team â offensively, defensively and special teams â in the first halfâ
Narragansettâs offense came into the game explosive but their defense seemed every bit as in control.
The Chieftains had their best chance of the first half after the Marinersâ final touchdown.
Dividing the ball between senior running back Derek Santos, senior tight end Matt Humphrey and junior running back Justin Burchett, the Chieftains started collecting first downs en route to the Mariner red zone. When the distance tightened the Mariner defense solidified. Time ran out with the Chieftains still searching for the end zone.
âWe had some of the younger guys in there. Then when they got down to the 35 we put our first team guys back in. It gives us an opportunity to work on our goal-line defense with getting substitutions in,â said Fossa. âIt went from goal-line, to regular D, to almost a prevent situation.â
The Mariner special teams play stuck the Chieftains with a short field many times on offense and defense, not to mention 100 percent on PATâs.
Derek Santos added three-and four-yard touchdown runs and Logan Courtemanche converted the two PATs in the third and fourth quarters, putting the visiting Chieftains on the board 36-14.
âYou got a couple teams in this league in Mount Pleasant and Moses Brown that are extremely good,â added Fossa. âAs well as we played today, it [will] be a struggle to beat those guys. Youâd have to play a perfect game against those teams.â